Thursday, January 08, 2009

I apologize in advance for the boringness of this. My migraine went away last night only to return this morning. Rather than give you another rambling mess, I'm going to give you part of something I had saved in my documents. The original plan was to make it more interesting before publishing but instead you get the basic dull query.

On a related note, I need to make a third batch of Fat Ass Soup tonight so back to the store I go. The good news is that I don't need celery this time so hopefully I can avoid causing a scene.

When you comment, do you go back and see if there was a response?

I'm torn on this. On one hand, I think it's a very good idea to respond to your comments. On the other, I often wonder if the intended person ever sees the response. Or is it just that to other people I seem responsive and that's encouraging to them? And while I love to see comments, I sometimes don't know how to respond to them.

I have to say, I do like seeing responses in the comments from the blog author. It says to me that they are interested in what people have to say and that I'm not just commenting into a vacuum. Yet I can't say that I always go back to see if they responded. I don't regularly subscribe to all further comments because I found that was overloading my inbox. I try to remember to go back and check, especially on certain posts. But it doesn't always happen. This is why I had asked earlier if there was a tool that would allow me to see all posts I had commented on. Alas, the consensus is that there is not.

As a blogger, I really love comments and want to keep them coming. They give me a sense of not just talking to myself all the time. I do enough of that as it is. As much as I would love someone to just take the time to say "Oh, hi, I read this", I sometimes feel like I'm reaching for a way to respond to a comment beyond "Oh, hi, I see you there." That's why I checked out SITS and have made it a point to comment on other blogs. And in seeking out interesting blogs to comment on, I've found several that I really enjoy reading on a regular basis.

So what's your position on comments? As a reader, do you expect to see a response from the author? And as an author, what's your take on this? Do you comment always, never, only on questions or particularly interesting comments?

23 comments:

Sometimes I do go back and see if someone commented on my comment...if I remember whose it was I wanted to see the comment about! lol Lately I have been trying to comment via email if it is somethings i want to respond to...like if someone leaves me a comment and asks me a question, i will email them instead of commenting to their comment....i am confusing myself...too many comments typed in this comment!! lol

Ah, I could have written this exact post. I hate the thought of the comment vacuum and that somehow people wouldn't comment if I didn't respond (and I love me some comments), but it takes a lot of time and often I wonder if people do come back and read them, or not.

There are a few blogs/posts that I regularly check back for comments to the comments. I only do that on ones that are really funny, or where blog authors always respond. It's a time issue for me though (in both directions ... responding to comments and going to other blogs to check for comment responses).

How boring is this response BTW?

My dream world would be commenters responding to other commenters - sparking conversation and making it less work for me, LOL!

I try to recognize my "regular" commenters by giving them some linky-love on occasion.

Lyndsay - I also try to send out some links to the "regulars". Maybe what we need to do is start making it clear in our comments if we'll be back or not. "I will be back so you better respond or I'll never come back again!!!" or "Don't bother responding, I really don't care." It would simplify things.

I read all my comments and comment back by visiting on their blogs. I figure they like comments as much as I do, and it's more of a conversation that way. I'll always go back about a week to check on blogs that haven't replied to me just to say hi and see what they're up to.

You know what I do on my lunch break? I come home and blog...not that I don't do it @ work, but I still cannot get enough. I love comments...they are an acknowledgement to my words. Plus I'm in it for the fame. Since I like to get them, I try to give them. And I have my faves too...I'm kind of obsessive about it. Gee, that's surprising Andrea. (there I go in the 3rd person once again)

Second, I've been battling with this as well as a blogger. I try to reply to comments if it's a "frequent" commenter via email. Or I'll respond in bulk in a comment on that post. Or if it's a new commenter I make it a point to stop by their blog and comment {like I have with you}.

As a reader, I leave comments on the posts that I read and like. Though I don't typically go back and check for a response in the comment section.

Maybe I'm making it too hard on myself, but I do enjoy blog hopping and branching out a bit.

I am new to blogging, so I don't know all the etiquette (or how to spell that word). I'm with "The Blonde Duck" on this one, though. Love comments, love to visit commenting blogs and comment back. If there's something so funny that you pee your pants, I'd say it warrants a comment comment. Maybe I'll try comment-commenting. Truthfully, I never thought about it - but I'm new.

Interesting. In a way that totally means "I appreciate your comments about comments and it's good stuff for me to think about so thank you but my head is too broken to respond individually at this time so I am, for those post, using a blank comment response."

Except for A because I'm afraid if I don't call her out by name she'll hunt me down. I'm scared.

IMO-if I read it, I comment. So many ppl read my blog (friends and family) and don't comment and I wish they did bc I don't know what they've read so far and then when we get together I wonder what they already know so I don't repeat myself! Lol!

I often return comments by visiting the commenters' blog and commenting. I like to reply to comments if the commenter has their email address reply enabled, but not everyone does.

I do see that some authors go back and comment to the commenters in the comment section, but I honestly don't go back and reread the comment section I already commented in, so I never would see these replies.

Wow...I didn't realize I could just write the word comment so many times....

It may be because my headache has finally cleared but I totally follow all of these comments about comments. It seems the answer is that everyone does it differently so you're absolutely no help at all. ;)

I sometimes will go back to check for comments about my comments. I do like to see the blogger respond to comments - like you said, it shows interest. I respond to comments on my blog. I also comment on all of my visits to other blogs even if it is just to say "Hi, I don't know how I got here, I was just, you know, like, clicking on stuff, but here I am and I find your topic about how you still cry every time you see an Elvis picture, uhm, thought provoking. If it's just the Elvis on velvet ones I can see your point. I cry too.

Debbi - I hear the voices too. I see that options and sometimes use it. But I also sometimes find it to get out of control on popular/busy blogs and then my claustrophobia freaks out at my inbox and I CAN'T HANDLE IT!!!!

It helps if the person has an email address....that's usually what I respond to. And, I always visit their blog and leave a comment. If they ask a question, I will usually answer it on their blog, if they do not have an email address.

I LOVE comments! Even if the reader only says something like, "Cute picture" I still love 'em! I used to respond to every person in my comments but I've found it much easier to respond by email if their comments are repliable.

About Me

It's a blog. I'll probably write stuff in it.
Me, I'm married, no kids, two cats, one boring job. My life isn't that exciting so I like to complicate things with overthinking, health issues, and anxiety attacks. I also enjoy reading, writing, travel (if I could control the anxiety attacks), wine, hockey, and music. And long walks on the beach. And a sugar daddy.